1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a service processing device and method, and particularly to a service processing device and method suitable for use in a workflow system in which a paper document is digitized to construct workflow.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known to provide a compound machine in which facsimile, scanner and printer functions are integrated in one machine, which also can function as a copy machine. With such a machine, it is possible to link paperwork mainly using paper and employing a copying machine, a facsimile machine or the like with processing of documents digitized on a personal computer.
For example, a paper document can be scanned and then can be transferred to a personal computer, or a document received through a facsimile machine can be directly transmitted as image data to a personal computer, rather than being printed. Further, after the paper document or the facsimile reception document is digitized, it is desired that many proceedings and processings be linked with each other and automated.
Thus, a technique is conventionally proposed in which a job template describing desired settings concerning items to be set in a compound machine is prepared in advance, the job template is specified, set values are changed as the need arises, and a set processing is performed.
For example, a conventional image forming apparatus (for example, a printer, a facsimile machine, a copier, all of which can print images on paper) stores the plural output setting data (job template) for setting output forms, and can form and output an image in the output form in accordance with the selected output setting data (see, for example, JP-A-10-83263(pages 5 to 7, FIGS. 2 and 5)).
However, for example, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in JP-A-10-83263, the only object that can be set is “output form”, that is, only the output form (output settings) of the image forming apparatus itself can be set. Accordingly, since the above image forming apparatus does not perform the setting of another printer or scanner connected to a network, or perform the setting of linking processings by other equipment, there has been a problem that plural processings can not be linked with each other.